Dhanieri 1
1 Mugore rechitatu rokutonga kwaJehoyakimi mambo weJudha, Nebhukadhinezari mambo weBhabhironi akasvika kuJerusarema ndokurikomba.
After King Jehoiakim had been ruling in Judah for almost three years, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem [with his army] and surrounded the city.
2 Uye Ishe akaisa Jehoyakimi mambo weJudha muruoko rwake, pamwe chete nemimwe midziyo yaibva mutemberi yaMwari. Akatakura izvi akaenda nazvo kutemberi yamwari wake kuBhabhironi ndokuzviisa muimba yepfuma yamwari wake.
[After two years, ] Yahweh allowed Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] to capture Jehoiakim, [who was the] King of Judah. They also took some of the things that were in the temple of God, and took them to Babylonia. There Nebuchadnezzar put them in the temple of his god.
3 Ipapo mambo akarayira Ashipenazi, mukuru wavatariri veruvazhe, kuti apinze vamwe vavaIsraeri kubva mumhuri youshe nemhuri yemakurukota,
Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded Ashpenaz, the chief official in his palace, to bring [to him] some of the Israeli men [whom they had brought to Babylon. He wanted men] who belonged to important families, including the family of the King of Judah.
4 majaya asina chinongo pamiviri yavo, vakanaka, vanoratidza njere padzidzo yose, vanokurumidza kunzwisisa, uye vakakodzera kushumira, mumuzinda wamambo. Aizovadzidzisa mutauro namagwaro avaBhabhironi.
[King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only] men who were very healthy, handsome/good-looking, wise, well-educated, capable of learning many things, and suitable for working in the palace. He also wanted to teach them the Babylonian language and have them read things that had been written in the Babylonian language.
5 Mambo akarayira kuti vapiwe zvokudya zvezuva rimwe nerimwe newaini yaibva patafura yamambo. Vaifanira kudzidziswa kwamakore matatu, uye shure kwaizvozvo vaizopinda paushumiri hwamambo.
The king commanded [his servants], “Give them the same kind of food and wine that is given to me. Train them for three years. Then they will become my servants.”
6 Pakati pavo paiva navamwe vaibva kuJudha vaiti: Dhanieri, Hanania, Mishaeri naAzaria.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Vakuru vamachinda vakavatumidza mazita matsva sezvinotevera: Dhanieri vakamupa zita rokuti Bheriteshazari; Hanania akanzi Shadhireki; Mishaeri akanzi Meshaki; uye Azaria akanzi Abhedhinego.
But Ashpenaz gave us [Babylonian] names. The name he gave to me was Belteshazzar, the name he gave to Hananiah was Shadrach, the name he gave to Mishael was Meshach, and the name he gave to Azariah was Abednego.
8 Asi Dhanieri akazvisunga mumwoyo make kuti arege kuzvisvibisa nezvokudya zvamambo newaini yake, uye akakumbira mukuru wamachinda mvumo yokuti arege kuzvisvibisa nenzira iyi.
But I decided that I would not eat the kind of food that the king ate, or drink the wine that he drank, because that would make me (ritually defiled/unacceptable to God). So I asked Ashpenaz to allow me to eat and drink other things.
9 Zvino Mwari akanga aita kuti muchinda aitire Dhanieri nyasha nengoni,
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 asi muchinda akaudza Dhanieri kuti, “Ndinotya ishe wangu mambo, anova ndiye akarayira zvamunofanira kudya nokunwa. Achaonereiko zviso zvenyu zvakaonda kupfuura zvamamwe majaya ezera renyu? Mambo achaita kuti musoro wangu udimurwe nokuda kwenyu.”
but he was worried about what I suggested. He said, “My master, the king, has commanded that you eat the kinds of food and drink that he does. If [you eat other things and as a result] you become more thin and pale than the other young men who are your age, he will [order his soldiers to] cut off my head because of what you have done!”
11 Ipapo Dhanieri akati kumurindi akanga anzi nomubati mukuru achengete Dhanieri, Hanania, Mishaeri naAzaria,
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 “Ndapota edzai henyu varanda venyu kwamazuva gumi. Regai henyu kutipa chimwe chinhu asi tipei muriwo tidye uye nemvura yokunwa chete.
So I said to this guard: “[Please] test us for ten days. [During that time] give us [only] vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Ipapo mugoenzanisa zviso zvedu nezvamajaya anodya zvokudya zvamambo mugobata varanda venyu samaonero enyu.”
After ten days, see how we look, and see how the other young men look, the ones who are eating the kind of food that the king eats. Then you can decide about [what food you will let us eat].”
14 Saka akatenda hake pane izvozvi ndokuvaedza kwamazuva gumi.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Mazuva gumi akati apera, ivo vakaratidza kuva noutano hwakagwinya uye nemiviri yakanaka kupinda majaya akadya zvokudya zvamambo.
After ten days, [he saw that] my three friends and I looked healthier [DOU] than the young men who had been eating the food that the king wanted them to eat.
16 Saka murindi akabvisa zvokudya zvakasarudzika newaini yavaifanira kunwa ndokuvapa muriwo pachinzvimbo chazvo.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Mwari akapa majaya mana aya ruzivo nokunzwisisa kwemhando dzose dzamagwaro nedzidzo. Uye Dhanieri ainzwisisa zviratidzo nezviroto zvemhando dzose.
And God gave to us four young men wisdom and the ability to study many things that Babylonians had written and studied. And [he also gave to] me the ability to understand the meaning of visions and dreams.
18 Mazuva akatarwa namambo kuti vapinde akati apera, mukuru wamachinda akavaisa kuna Nebhukadhinezari.
When those three years that the king had set for training us young men from Judah were ended, Ashpenaz brought all of us to King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Mambo akataura navo, uye akasawana mumwe zvake akanga akaenzana navanaDhanieri, Hanania, Mishaeri naAzaria; saka vakapinda kuti vandoshandira mambo.
The king talked with [each of] us, and realized that none of the other young men were as capable as Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and I were. So we four became the king’s special advisors/servants.
20 Pazvinhu zvose zvouchenjeri nokunzwisisa pamusoro pezvose zvaibvunzwa namambo, akavawana vachipfuura kagumi nʼanga dzose navanhu vose muumambo hwose.
In all important matters, the king found that what we [four men] advised was ten times as good as what all the magicians and sorcerers/fortune-tellers in his kingdom advised.
21 Uye Dhanieri akagaramo kusvikira gore rokutonga raMambo Sirasi.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
